I Promise You
by suki1916
Summary: No summary just read and review...it is a one shot


I Promise You

She sat down, letting the sand mesh in between her toes, breathing in the salty sea air. So many broken promises, so many lies. What was the point? That's what she told herself before. Love was pointless; it got you no where but heartache. For the few fleeting moments it was magical, she didn't think it was worth the world of hurt she felt right now.

"You lied." she said quietly.

"How did I lie?" he responded.

"You told me you would never leave me."

"I'm right here."

"Not for long."

"I'll never leave you for good."

"You remember that time at the beach? We were so happy then. I want to feel that again. I feel so empty, so hollow. Why do you want to leave me?"

"It's not my choice."

"I miss you so much. Come back to me. Please?" she pleaded.

"You know I can't."

"I know. Doesn't change the fact that I want you to."

"When you're eighty you're gonna be warm in your bed and you'll think of me. That's when we'll be together." he smiled.

"I don't want to live my life without you. I'll be lonely."

"You're life will be full and happy. I'm sure of it."

"Well it's my life, how would you know?" she asked angrily.

"Because I'm a part of it."

"Was. Past tense. You are no longer a part of my life." she paused, realizing how childish she sounded. She looked at him and knew. "You have to go now don't you?"

"You have things to take care of."

"HALEY!" she heard Luke call out to her. She turned to where the voice was coming from and she knew before even turning back to him that Nathan was gone.

Of course he was gone.

He died.

It had been a simple day. Just an almost exceptional ordinary day. Except this wasn't an ordinary day. Not by the time the day became the night. It was the worse day. The day his world ended and her heart shattered.

She had woken up in his arms, watching him, smelling him, touching him. It wasn't long before she slid out of bed, barely escaping his clutches, and threw on a robe to make him breakfast. It was while she was mastering this feat that he came stumbling in, half awake. She smiled knowing it was because either he was sorely lacking the body warmth she provided or he had smelt the delicious smells coming from the kitchen. Probably a combination of the two.

"Grumpy." she smiled.

"Bashful." he muttered.

"Come, eat. It's ready." she replied setting the plate on the counter in front of him.

"Thanks." he mumbled digging into his pancakes before finally looking at her. He smiled at her, the best he could with pancakes stuffed in his mouth, and said something she couldn't quite understand. He swallowed and repeated his previous statement. "You're beautiful."

"Liar." she said playfully, rolling her eyes. Her hair was in a messy bun, stands falling everywhere. She had nothing on but his old t-shirt and a robe with bunny slippers. She knew deep down though that he meant it. She gave him a small smile and slipped away to go get in the shower.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked and she yelped from the surprise visit while she was in the shower. He smirked at her as she giggled motioning him to get in.

Hours later, both completely exhausted from their lovemaking, they fell back onto the bed just listening to each other breathing; their hearts beating as one.

"I love you." he whispered in her ear.

"I loved you first."

"I'll always love you."

He left a short while later for work and promised her he would see her soon. She didn't stop thinking about him the entire day and counted down the minutes until she saw him once again. She received a phone call from him that night. The last time she would ever hear his voice.

"Hey babe, I'm gonna be a little late. I'm gonna swing by the river court and play a little ball with Tim. I love you."

A little late meaning never.

He never made it home. He never even made it to the river court. For the second time that night she received a phone call from Tim.

"Have you seen Nate? He didn't show up."

She was about to responded when she heard a knock at the door. It was naïve and stupid but she thought it was him. Why would he be knocking on his own door? The second she opened the door to see two officers standing there she knew.

He would never show up.

She nodded numbly as the officers explained to her what had happened. Looking back on it now she's aware of the fact that she didn't cry, didn't scream, didn't even respond. She simply nodded and shut the door letting the words repeat in her head.

"Your husband was hit by a drunk driver. He was killed instantly on impact. I'm sorry ma'am."

She didn't even call anyone. Not her mother in law. Not Dan. Not even Luke. She didn't bother to call Tim back. She grabbed her coat and keys and headed to the beach. Of course they had called her once they heard. She threw her phone into the ocean. She only wanted him to call. He never would. It was then that she looked over and saw him sitting next to her.

She had lost her mind.

"You lied."

And now as she thought of the conversation with her dead husband she really wanted to cry. She still didn't shed a tear. Luke was beside her now, holding her; his own tears soaking her shirt. He was whispering to her that it would be ok, it would all be alright. It would never be alright again.

She was mad.

The next few days were a blur to her. She refused to eat, refused to speak, and refused to cry. He had left her. He promised her he never would. The day of his funeral was probably the worse day. Peyton had helped her slip into a dress and Brooke had pinned up her hair. She remained still. The told her the same thing over and over.

"It's ok to cry."

She felt like he didn't deserve her tears. He left her. He lied. Once Brooke and Peyton left her alone she made the move to go and lock the door behind them. She refused to even take part of the planning of this disaster. After a few minutes she heard Lucas and Deb banging on the door. She ignored them. It was then he showed up again.

"You have to move on. Let it all go." he told her.

"I don't want to." she replied like a petulant child. "I'm mad at you."

"I know. I'm gonna help you move on. You'll see."

"How?"

"Hales." she heard Luke say as she fumbled into the window. Leave it to Luke to find a way into a locked room.

It was after the funeral, which Lucas practically dragged her to, that she finally cried. She listened as some priest talk about there husband who didn't know him from Adam. She listened to everyone speak about him like they truly knew him. They didn't know him. She was the only person to know him. The only person he let know him. Deb looked at her pleadingly to speak and she shook her head no.

Then something snapped. She wasn't sure what happened to at that moment but it happened too quickly for her to stop it. They were lowering him into the ground and that's when it finally hit her.

He wasn't coming back.

She spoke up then. "I love you too." she simply said as she let the hot tears flow down her cheek. She barely remembered Lucas rushing over to her as she collapsed on the ground beside his grave.

It was a few years later that she finally realized what he meant by helping her move on. It was her wedding day. She had talked to him more times than she could count in those few years, but every night he would always come back in her dreams. She felt that she had his blessing.

As she walked down the aisle of the beautifully decorated church, she let herself for a few moments imagine that it was Nathan standing up there. He wasn't though when she blinked. He was standing beside her.

"You can do this." he encouraged.

So she did. She continued walking down the aisle, clutching her father's arm, begging her soul for strength. She must have found it because she made it up there. She took her place beside her future husband and smiled through the tears.

Her eyes scanned the people gathered there to witness this blessed occasion. There were her parents smiling and crying for the one son in law they missed and the new one they were gaining. Deb and Karen holding hands, smiling. She noticed that Deb's was a little bit sadder and she understood. Even Dan was there, giving her a nod when they locked eyes. Keith was beside Karen, his arm wrapped around her shoulder.

They supported this. Brooke and Peyton we're her bridesmaids; Jake his best man. He wanted Nathan there. She smiled knowing he was. She looked in her future husband's blue eyes and mouthed an 'I love you' as the priest continued to drone on about love and commitment.

"You are my partner, my friend, and the love of my life. I wouldn't want this day to be spent with any one other than you Haley. We've been through a lot together and this is only the beginning of so much more. I chose you to be my everything and so much more. I love you."

"You've been there for me like no other. You never gave up on me and you never let me fall. Well, except maybe in love. I also chose you to be my everything. In sickness and in health. Richer or poorer. Better or worse. You're it. I pledge to you my heart, body, and soul."

"You may now kiss the bride. I would now like to introduce Mr. And Mrs. Lucas Scott."

She had married Lucas. It was strange how it had happened really. It was just a normal outing for them. Hanging out, laughing, and having fun. Then he kissed her and what surprised her even more was that she kissed him back. She didn't feel so empty anymore.

She had a full life. She still had her talks with Nathan but it was always one sided. He never visited her dreams after that day and she felt like he didn't have to. She loved Luke now; he had filled that void in her heart. They had a wonderful life. They became parents four times. She cried the day she stood over Nathan's grave introducing him to his namesake.

They had a million kisses and thousands of hugs. Hundreds of happy moments and a ton of bad ones. Enough birthdays and Christmases to last them a million lifetimes. All in all, she didn't have a bad life. She had happiness and she had tragedy. She had good times and sorrow. But she never didn't feel loved. She never guessed that she could have so much love from two brothers.

As much as she loved one, she loved the other in a so much more different level. Nathan was her first love and on many levels considered him her soul mate. Lucas was her best friend and her husband. It was just a different kind of love with each. But the fact remained: Nathan was her soul mate.

She's eighty now. She survived all of her children by years. It wasn't easy the bury the children she gave birth to, but it wasn't like she hadn't experienced sorrow before. She had watched as her husband unsuccessfully battle cancer. So for the second time in her life, she buried a husband.

As she slips into her deep slumber she dreams of him again. This time however, she's the twenty year old version of herself. The wrinkles have gone, and the creaky bones have faded away. She's standing on the beach. She smiles looking at him. He's not facing her, he's looking at the waves but she can tell he's smiling. She wait's a few seconds before running over and jumping to his awaiting arms.

"I've missed you."

"I never left."

"I loved you."

"I've always loved you."

"You were right."

"Was I?"

Obviously his cockiness hadn't changed.

"I moved on. I was happy again. You did it didn't you?"

"Of course I helped you. The only thing I've ever wanted was for you to be happy."

"I like it here. I always have."

"I know. Me too."

"We can be together now?"

"I promised you we would. Just wait until you're eighty. You did you're part, now it's time to do mine. We'll always be together. Always and forever. I promised you."


End file.
